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19
Exclusive Emerald Isle
TOUR
Signature
Explore lively Dublin, cruise along the majestic Shannon and explore the daunting
beauty of Ireland’s wild west from our base in a 16 bedroom Georgian country
mansion, Middleton Park House.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
★
★
Stay in a Georgian country mansion
amidst Ireland’s rolling hills
★
★
Relax in rural Westmeath in a splendid
setting
★
★
Learn about the history of the house
on a historical tour
★
★
Cruise the Shannon to Clonmacnoise
Monastery
★
★
Try a drop of the hard stuff at a local
distillery
★
★
Enjoy a rail round-trip to breathtaking
Connemara
★
★
Visit Kylemore Abbey and admire
Killary Fjord
★
★
Tour “Dublin’s Fair City”
★
★
Conclude your holiday with a night of
traditional Irish music
Also included in your Tour Fare:
★
★
Dinner every evening
★
★
Rail travel & seat reservations from
your Home Station to Tour Base
(Standard or First Class)
★
★
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour
Manager
★
★
Hotel Porterage
DAY 1
By train to
Holyhead
for the afternoon sailing to
Dublin where we meet those who have chosen
to travel by air. We then transfer by coach
to
Middleton Park House
, set in the rolling
Westmeath hills, where we enjoy our first dinner
together. (D)
DAY 2
Today we explore the local region, beginning in
Athlone
, whose town centre is dominated by
its
Norman castle
. After visiting the castle, we
take to the majestic
River Shannon
on a
cruise
to Clonmacnoise Monastery
. The Vikings used
the Shannon as the main artery through Ireland
and they reached Clonmacnoise as far back as
the 9th century. We retrace their historical steps
and visit Clonmacnoise itself, the burial place
of kings and one of the most important early
DEPARTS
HOTEL
Monday 16 May 2016
Monday 13 June 2016
Monday 5 September 2016
© Middleton Park House
© Tourism Ireland
© Tourism Ireland / Reinhard Pantke
Clonmacnoise
Middleton Park House
Kylemore Abbey
Fares
From
£825
6
DAYS
FARES
centres of religion and scholarship in Ireland.
On the way back to Middleton Park House we
enjoy a
tour and tasting at a local distillery
to
complete the day. Slainte! (B,D)
DAY 3
A
historical guided tour of Middleton Park
House
and its estate begins the day, after
which we include an afternoon visit to the
delightful
Belvedere House and Gardens
. (B,D)
DAY 4
A fantastic round trip awaits today as we travel
by rail from
Clara
northwestwards through
counties Offaly, Westmeath and Galway en
route to
Westport
. Here our coach will be waiting
to take a scenic route through
Connemara
,
Ireland’s unspoilt west, via breathtaking
Killary Fjord
and a visit to
Connemara Crystal
and
Kylemore Abbey
. Heading through the
Gaeltacht, where Irish is still spoken, we enjoy
free time in
Galway City
, before rejoining the
Irish Rail system and a different route back to
Clara. (B,D)
DAY 5
We bid fond farewells to Middleton Park House
and transfer to
Dublin
. On arrival in Dublin, we
feature an introductory coach tour, after which
the afternoon is free in Ireland’s capital. Be
sure to visit the Book of Kells, enjoy a pint of
the black stuff at the Guinness Storehouse or
explore thriving Temple Bar. This evening we
enjoy a farewell dinner with
live Irish music
before spending the final night at the
Belvedere
Hotel
in central Dublin. (B,D)
DAY 6
We transfer to either airport or seaport for our
morning return ferry crossing to Holyhead. (B)
Middleton Park House,
Castletown Geoghegan
Imagine a striking Georgian country mansion
sitting perched atop a hill amidst secluded
woodland in the Emerald Isle. With only 16
bedrooms (12 bedrooms and 4 suites), there
is plenty of space to relax in the house’s public
areas, including the Drawing Room, Cocktail
Bar, Library, Conservatory and Games Room.
Dining is a sociable experience as the party will
be small and there is sure to be a traditional
Irish welcome in store.
FARE REGION
FIRST STANDARD RC
London: Euston
£1045 £930 -£10
Greater London
£1085 £955 -£15
South of England
£1085 £955 -£15
East Anglia
£1125 £985 -£25
South West
£1085 £965 -£15
Heart of England £995 £915 -£10
Midlands
£965 £890 -£10
Yorkshire
N/A £945 -£15
North East
N/A £975 -£25
North West
£955 £895 -£10
South Wales
£1035 £915 -£10
North Wales
£855 £845 -£5
Scotland
£1060 £965 -£25
Join/Leave at Holyhead
£825
Join/Leave at Dublin
£785
JUNE
Departure Supplement £25
SEPTEMBER
Departure Supplement £25
Single Room Supplement
£175
Upgrades available to suites. Please call us for details.
5 nights’ bed, breakfast & Table d’Hôte evening meal,
including a dinner with Irish music
Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station
to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)
Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described
All excursions and admissions as detailed
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
Hotel Porterage